Out Of My League | Percabeth | Completed

Chapter 15

Annabeth's POV

After Luke's warning, I didn't dare to give any hints to Percy. Hating me for doing it, I friendzoned him. I doubted he liked me, but I still did, just to be safe. I put a hand on his shoulder.

'We all loved Tyson.'
'I know,' he said, giving a watery smile.

Sally was crying and so was Estelle. They had gone together to collect the body. Percy couldn't bear to come. Determinedly, he was averting his eyes from the room where fourteen year old Tyson's limp, still body lay. I kissed his cheek.

'It's time for school, Percy,' I said.
We both were a bit red, for I had just kissed his cheek and he was noticeably relaxed, 'Yeah,' he said.
His mom gave a shaky yell, 'You don't have to go to school today-'
'I'm going, Mom.' he said, still averting his eyes from Tyson. He was clearly implying that if he wanted to be anywhere, he wanted to be with his friends.

Percy got changed and then Sally lent me some of her old college clothes, again. We both walked out silently. He stopped at the school.

'Percy...' I tugged at his arm anxiously. Some men had started to whistle in my direction. He didn't budge, 'Percy let's- Can't they stop?!' I partly yelled, getting his attention. The men started laughing. I pulled him in the school, 'Creeps,' I muttered.
'What did we do wrong, Annabeth?' Percy asked me in a quiet voice.
'The only thing we are doing wrong is forgetting about our lives and dwelling on how to save Tyson,' I said, 'I hate to say this Percy- he's gone.'
He broke into tears
'D-don't cry,' I said, my voice breaking. I allowed him to cry into my hair, I didn't mind.
'I miss him, Annie,' he murmured.
'We all do, Percy,' I said, patting his head and hugging him. 

I noticed Piper had come in through the gates. She opened her mouth to give some comforting words, I was sure; I stopped her by raising my hand. Later, I mouthed. She nodded understandingly and walked away.

Percy pulled apart, 'Sorry to get your hair wet, Wise Girl.' he chuckled a bit, sniffling his nose.
'It's fine, Seaweed Brain- not a problem at all.' I smiled.

We entered the school, holding hands without knowing it.

Percy's POV

As I entered the school my friends all glanced at me. Nico's eyes were puffy and bloodshot. I realised he may have cried, Tyson being his cousin. He gave a small hug to me. I tried not to cry. Tyson was gone, he was really gone. 

'I'm really sorry, Percy,' Piper said quietly. I nodded in response. The air was cold and melancholic.
'S-so he wasn't s-saved?' Nico asked me, his voice cracking in between. I never knew he held such affection for Tyson, 'His fall was that bad?'
'No he wasn't; maybe the fall was that bad or maybe they didn't care for him that much- whichever reason... he's gone' I said, staring at my feet.

My phone rang. I excused myself as I answered the call.

'Hello?' a familiar voice spoke through the phone, but I couldn't remember the owner of the voice.
'Yes?'
'Percy?' the voice asked, 'This is Gabe.'
'A'ight. I'm hanging up.' I muttered.
'Wait!' his voice rung out through the phone as I pulled it away from my ear, 'I just wanted to send my condolences about Ty-'

I cut the line and walked back to my friends, fuming. They glanced at me nervously. Nico was staring at the ground.

'Who was it?' Annabeth asked. 
'Nobody.' I lied.

We all had to part after a while, I had no classes with any of them until chemistry, which was the last class. This was not going to be fun. 

First messed up thing that happened to me in class? A girl hit on me. None other than Rachel. I was late, and the only seat left was next to Rachel. She immediately brightened up.

'Hello,' she said, it sounded charming, but well- this was Rachel.
I grunted in response.
'Why... I wonder why we broke up, don't you?' she mused.
'No.' I said sharply.
She put a hand on my shoulder. I shoved it off.
'Look Rachel,' I said furiously, 'I've had enough of you. I've been having a rough week.'
'I'm sure I can make it better,' she said, much to my annoyance.
'No!' I yelled, getting mad then.
'Perseus Jackson!' Miss Melanie shouted, 'That was very rude, and I'd like you to apologise to Rachel this instant!' 

Furious and fuming. I got up from my chair. Without a word, I stormed out of the classroom, leaving Miss Melanie dumfounded. 

Finally, the horrid day got over and walking back to school, unknowingly, I walked to Tyson's school, I used to pick him up from school a while after my own classes got over.
As I was about to enter through the gates, I remembered. My phone chimed.

Hey, do you want to meet up at my house?- Leo.Valdz
Yes!- Persea.Jackson

What time...?- Piper.Mclean
Friday... six? Just a late night party not a stay... Emmie and Jo said that the pantry was half empty after you left ;)

lol- Hazel.nut
Well look's like we're all coming, Lee- Friday, six right?- Callie.pillar

Yes- Leo.Valdz

I put my phone in my pocket again, it pinged a few times again but I didn't see any problem. Annabeth stopped me while I was going home.

'You do not wanna go in there.' she said, 'Sally is having a breakdown and is cooking something that smells horrible, no offence.'
'Non taken,' I said, 'Mom tends to make bad food in a sad mood- wow that rhymed.'
'Seaweed Brain.' Annabeth muttered. But she hugged my friendlily. I had to resist the urge to kiss her, because I knew she would pull away. Why? I had no clue, but I didn't want to seem obsessive.
I noticed a colourful cube sticking out of her bag I yanked it out.
'Hey!' she exclaimed, trying to reach for the cube. I smiled and pulled it out of her reach, I didn't laugh.
'A rubik's cube?' I asked, when she finally gave up.
'Yes,'
'Can you solve it?' I asked.
'Yeah.' she said indifferently, like an infant could solve some of the world's trickiest puzzles.
'Prove it.'
She snatched the cube out of my hands and solved it in two minutes.
'You cheated! You scrambled it in a sequence only you could remember!'
'I didn't!' she said, 'Scramble it- I won't look- I'll still solve it.'

I scrambled it. The horrid smell Annabeth was talking about wafted out of the windows, filling my nostril's with an undesirable smell. Annabeth solved the puzzle in a few minutes, again. I watched her with fascination.

'What!' I cried out, 'No way!'
'Yes way, I learnt it.' she replied with an exasparated huff.

I hadn't even realised that from my house we had reached her house, well Piper's house- since she moved in with beauty queen; that would explain how the smell had left my nose.

'Come on in.' she said, doing a few patterns with the cube.
'You've got to teach me how to solve this!' I said, pointing at the cube.
'I can teach you now.'
'Yes!' I cried out.

We sat on her bed and she helped me.

'So first you position the white edges with the yellow center...' she said holding my hands and guiding them like I was a little kid. It send a burning sensation down my entire arm. 

In a few minutes, the cube was solved. Only, it wasn't a few minutes- it had been about an hour. Time flies when you're having fun.

'I can't wait to show Estelle, she always boasts about her cubing skills. And of course, Mom and Tyson-' I caught myself. The tears fell quicker and faster than I wanted to.
'Oh Percy...' Annabeth said. She took my head in her hands and let me lean it on her shoulder. 

We stayed hugging each other until I got a phone from Estelle.

'Hey, Stelle.' I said trying to sound normal.
'Percy,' Estelle said in a grave voice, 'It's Mom.'
'What's up?' I said, sitting straighter.
'She's gone mad.'

Right, sorry for killing Tyson. I had to so that Annabeth would be the only one who could keep Percy happier and so that they would be spending a lot more time together.

See you in the next chapter.